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This is an annual fixture in Reading’s entertainment calendar and a rather good fixture it is too. Leaving aside the knowledge that all the money raised is going to a charity to help autistic children, it’s a unique chance for the ordinary punter to see eight or nine very different acts from all corners of the comedy spectrum under one roof and on one bill.

Some acts are regular, however, such as Steve Rawlings, the manic and compulsive juggler and balancer, who is also the man behind the organisation of this vast endeavour year on year. His, quite justifiable, presence on the bill every time it comes round would soon become irksome if it weren’t for the fact that he’s very good at what he does and is quite funny enough to see annually. One can only applaud him.

Rick Wakeman was on hand to prove that his fingers have lost none of their finesse and flightiness as he teased a number of tunes out of the piano, including his great Eleanor-Rigby-in-the-style-of-Prokofiev, and the legendary Earl Okin not only sang sexily, played his astonishing mouth trumpet, but also tinkled on the ivories with a scathing, bitchy, vitriolic anti-Lloyd-Webber’s alleged lack of originality and talent, which was quite glorious, though perhaps a little subtle for some members of the audience.

One can’t help but have the feeling occasionally, over the years, that these audiences are wanting the blue comics and are bemused if not bored by anything ever-so slightly more subtle or outré, though this year the seemed more willing to enjoy everything than in previous years, but the audience also seemed slightly smaller, which is a big shame.

Also on the bill were actor and comic Felix Dexter with some pleasing comparisons of the ‘70s and contemporary technology and examples of railway station announcements which displayed the two things one would like to hear in an apology: truth and emotion.

The ventriloquist, Steve Hewlett, showed that there are still legs in the old art form, with his dirty old man puppet, Arthur (looking something like Waldorf or Statler, but with a more optimistic outlook toward the ladies), but even more so with a variety of other voices, from not only water bottles and sock puppets, but even from a pair of completely naked hands – scandalous.

Stand-up comic Mike Gunn was miserably frank with his recitation of a list of things that women like but which men can’t really be bothered with, such as candles, cards and anniversaries, and followed this with more honest talking about waiting for his inheritance to arrive from his father, who seems to be living for ever.

The most out-there-beyond-the-fringe-of-cabaret act on the bill was the Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue, allegedly an uncle and nephew duo, who work in the area of musical and visual comedy. To describe their act can only make it sound a bit rubbish, because it is something that must be seen, but I’ll risk having a brief go: the soundtrack is a musical cut-up of famous songs, the two players carry around placards with words from the songs on and in some cases act out the lyric (for example, by throwing the ‘Me’ placard to the corner of the stage in time with REM’s ‘That’s me in the corner’ lyric from Losing My Religion), in some cases forming visual rebus-like puns (the word ‘Down’ being held above the word ‘It’ for example to illustrate the ‘Get down on it’ line) and in some cases pointing out misheard lyrics. It is much better than it sounds, and so rich and full of rapid jokes that I could well believe would bear repeated viewing just to plumb all its depths.

Richard Digance wrapped up the night with some songs trying to bridge the generation gap, which may or may not have been the right ending for such a diverse and often high energy show of brilliant stuff, but there was something here for everyone, even if not every act was your cup of tea – that’s what’s great about variety, if you don’t like this act, there’ll be a different one along in 10 minutes, and besides, it’s all for, as they say, charity. Another year, another good bit of entertainment.